"Run! Why aren't they running faster?! The sandstorm is coming!"
Cobra, trembling in midair, watched the approaching sandstorm and tornado headed for Alubarna. He turned to Shirogai beside him with worry in his voice.
"Shirogai, destroying Alubarna should be enough, right? There won't be any unnecessary casualties, will there?"
Shirogai's lower body had taken the form of golden sand, suspending him in the air as he held Cobra's collar with one hand. His expression remained calm as he gazed down at the chaotic battlefield below, where the Rebel Army and King's Army continued to clash, oblivious to the impending doom.
"They're all too consumed by the bloodshed to notice what's heading their way," Shirogai replied coolly. "Even if some did notice, what could they possibly do? They're too far gone. Once you lose control of your own people, even survival becomes an afterthought."
Cobra clenched his fists as he watched the miniature chaos below—two factions of his own countrymen slaughtering each other. "This is my fault. If I had uncovered Crocodile's scheme earlier—!"
Shirogai cut in bluntly, "Then you'd have been eliminated early on. Mr. 2 could've impersonated you with the Clone-Clone Fruit and carried out the plan just as smoothly. If anything, Crocodile was too cautious. He should've acted sooner. Probably didn't trust Mr. 2 to get the job done."
"…Sigh."
Cobra let out a heavy breath.
This was the burden of the powerless. Only those who held strength could dictate the course of events. The rest—could only watch as pawns.
"Waaah! This is way too dangerous! Vivi, we need to get out of here—now!"
Usopp yelped as a stray bullet whistled past his nose, kicking up smoke.
Having recalled her childhood memories, Vivi concluded that the only place large enough to hide a massive bomb was the palace's clock tower.
"Watch out, behind you!"
Vivi yanked Usopp's nose, pulling him out of the way just in time to avoid an enemy's blade.
"Tch. Die!"
A Rebel soldier slashed again, only to be blocked by a heavily injured King's Army soldier who shouted:
"Princess! Please get to safety! We'll hold them off!"
Vivi clenched her fists, grief etching her features. But she knew she had no time for sentiment now.
"I'm sorry... everyone."
She dragged Usopp into an alley and whispered, "Usopp! We have to find a way to alert the others. I think the bomb is in the clock tower—there's enough space up there to hide a large artillery shell!"
"Got it! I'm on it!"
Usopp quickly loaded a special round into his slingshot and launched it into the sky.
"Deadly Attack: Red Snake Star!"
The crimson flare tore through the sand-filled air, leaving behind a glowing red trail.
From the sky, Pell—still in falcon form—immediately spotted the flare.
"That's Usopp's signal!" he muttered. "The sandstorm is closing in fast... Alubarna's in serious trouble."
He flapped his wings and raced back toward the city, alarmed at how the storms were converging unnaturally from every direction.
Even outside the city, Zoro spotted the signal.
"Usopp's Red Snake Star..."
He turned his eyes to the dark wall of sand and the ominous black funnel cloud nearby.
"We're not just fighting a ticking bomb," he muttered. "This storm could wipe out the whole capital."
"If Shirogai were here, this sandstorm wouldn't be a problem…"
Zoro adjusted his grip on his swords and dashed toward the palace, his boots kicking up sand with every stride.
"Damn it! Why is the palace so damn far?!"
Meanwhile…
"Usopp's flare worked—we need to regroup!" Nami shouted from atop Chopper, who had transformed into his beast form.
Back near the signal site, Vivi and Usopp weren't alone for long.
"Heh, look who it is—Princess Vivi. That flare helped us find you!"
Dozens of Millions from Baroque Works swarmed in, their weapons gleaming in the dusty air.
"Deadly Attack: Smoke Star!" Usopp shouted, grabbing Vivi's hand. "Run, Vivi! I'll hold them off!"
The two took off toward the palace's clock tower.
"Don't run! Catch the princess, and we'll be promoted to Billions!"
Usopp fired off his entire arsenal.
"Deadly Attack: Gunpowder Star!"
"Tomato Star!"
"Blood Bullet!"
"Boomerang!"
He managed to take down over a dozen enemies—but that only brought more out of hiding.
"There are too many!" Usopp wailed.
A blade flashed—"Die!"
But just before the blade struck, a Marine sabre intercepted it.
"You're under arrest—Baroque Works!"
It was Tashigi, leading a group of Marines. She slashed through the enemies and shouted:
"Go! Stop the bomb! We'll cover you!"
Usopp stopped and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much!"
As they ran toward the clock tower, Tashigi murmured:
"A thank-you... from pirates?"
She smiled bitterly, shaking her head.
"As expected of Shirogai's crewmates... they're all a bit unusual."
Soon after, the Straw Hats had regrouped at the palace square.
"Vivi, Usopp! Why are Marines helping us?!" Nami asked, riding Chopper.
"I don't know! They saved us too!" Usopp replied.
Vivi looked up at the clock. "We're running out of time... less than a minute before the bomb goes off!"
"But how do we get up there in time?!" Nami cried.
Suddenly, Sanji's voice echoed from above. "Nami-san! Vivi-san! I'm up here, but there's no cannonball yet!"
Outside the city…
The sandstorm was only three kilometers away from Alubarna's walls.
The roar of the wind and the howl of grinding sand finally pierced the minds of the soldiers.
"Look! The sky!"
The swirling crimson-yellow clouds and pitch-black tornado towered above them.
Weapons dropped.
Panic took over.
"Run! Get to the center of the city—it's higher ground!"
"The sandstorm's going to bury the outskirts! Run!"
Madness gave way to instinct as Rebel and King's Army soldiers fled side-by-side, leaving behind the battlefield they'd soaked in blood.
The terrain would decide their fate now.
Their swords were useless against nature.
This... was the difference between ordinary people and Devil Fruit users.
The latter had godlike powers.
The former could only run.
Floating high above in his sand form, Shirogai Yamikuro watched as they scrambled for their lives.
He smiled quietly to himself.
"What a cruel, interesting world."
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